Lesson from Assam to Nagaland: Heavy trucks banned to protect road

EMN
Dimapur, February 7

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n a development that could offer a strong instance of how administrations take care of public amenities, a district in Assam has prohibited ‘heavy-loaded trucks’ from passing through the district. The measure is to protect the district’s roads.A recent order of Sivasagar district’s administration, under Assam, could well be a good pointer for states such as Nagaland where, not to speak of traffic manners and urban rules, civilized “roads” no longer exist – leave alone any stretch to repair unless to overhaul it entirely.
The Additional District Magistrate of Sivasagar in Assam, DN Morang, has promulgated
Section 144 Cr.PC prohibiting movement of ‘overloaded vehicles’ carrying materials such as coal throughout Sivasagar district with effect from February 7.
The order of the magistrate comes in the wake of reports about the movement of heavily-loaded vehicles carrying coal and movement of 10/18 wheelers vehicles in the district. The heavy vehicles are causing damage to the roads and becoming a concern for public safety along the highways, the district’s administration is understood to have opined.
According to the directives in the order, transportation of coal ‘beyond the permitted limit’ as prescribed by the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988 and movement of trucks carrying coal between 10 pm and 5 am has been prohibited throughout Sivasagar district.
The magistrate’s order stated further that movement of coal-loaded trucks between 10 pm and 5 am would be treated as illegal. Those who violate the order shall be dealt with, by appropriate sections of the law, the order stated.
The prohibitory order will remain in force for a period of sixty days from the date the order was issued.